Treatment Approach for Cancer

Care of cancer can be a complex process and always needs the engagement of several specialists because treating cancer is multifaceted. The multifaceted and complex nature of approach to care of cancer is attributed to that fact that this process not only revolves around treating the condition itself but also focuses on dealing with non-cancer issues. Some of these non-cancer issues to address during treatment and care of cancer include the patient's coexistent illnesses, health behaviors, and preventive care initiatives. Moreover, the approach to care requires coordinated efforts from various healthcare providers such as oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists. However, the identification a suitable approach to care of cancer requires examining diagnosis and staging of cancer, probable complications, side effects of treatment, and measures to reduce physical and psychological impacts.

Diagnosis and Staging of Cancer

The treatment of cancer begins with diagnosis, which involves a physical examination and medical history regarding the history of symptoms and signs. In most cases, the healthcare provider will conduct several tests that are determined by the kind of cancer and its probable location on the individual's body (Davis & Balentine, 2014). Many healthcare givers or providers will order a total blood count, electrolyte levels, and other blood tests that provide more information.

Apart from blood tests, the diagnosis of cancer mostly involves the use of imaging studies that assist physicians to identify abnormalities in the body that may cause cancer. The most common tools used in conducting imaging studies for diagnosis of cancer include MRI scans, CT scans, X-rays, and ultrasound. Some physicians conduct tests like endoscopy with various equipments that enable visualization of tissues in the various parts of the body such as the throat, intestinal tract, and bronchi that could be cancerous. While these tests can be helpful in identifying abnormalities, many healthcare providers consider some of them to offer presumptive evidence for cancer diagnosis.

Given the seeming ineffectiveness of some of these tests, the most definitive diagnosis of cancer is the assessment of a tissue sample in a process that is known as biopsy. Once the tissue sample is obtained through this procedure, it is then analyzed by a pathologist. The significance of biopsy in being definitive in cancer diagnosis is attributed to the fact that it can identify the type of cancer and the kind of tissue i.e. whether it is a basic or metastatic type of brain cancer, which spread from another primary tumor in another body part. When this process is used in the diagnosis of cancer, it helps to stage the cancer and develop approach to care.

Cancer staging is a means for researchers and clinicians to approximate the extent with which the cancer is in the patient's body. This implies that staging refers to the degree or severity of a patient with cancer in his/her body. In addition to identifying the possibility of cancer in an individual's body, the diagnosis process helps physicians to estimate the individual's prognosis and to plan treatment.

The treatment of cancer requires determining cancer stage because the staging systems of the condition have continued to evolve and change as more information is obtained about cancer. Moreover, the identification of the cancer stage is vital in determining clinical trials that could be an appropriate treatment alternative for a patient. Cancer staging is also crucial in the treatment of cancer since it enables researchers and clinicians exchange information regarding patients while providing them a common terminology for assessing the results of medical trials and comparing them with various trials ("Cancer Staging," 2015).

The basis with which cancer staging is conducted is knowledge regarding the way it progresses since cancer cells develop and spread without order or control given their failure to die as they should. Generally, all types of cancers are staged when they are initially diagnosed that is characterized by classification allocated before treatment i.e. In the clinical stage.

Cancer Complications

While the approach to care of cancer involves the use of various treatment measures depending on the type and location of the cancerous cells in the body, these treatment initiatives are likely to cause several complications. One of the complications caused by the treatment of cancer is chemical changes in the patient's body. These chemical changes are attributed to the fact that cancer disrupts the normal chemical balance within the body and enhances the risks of severe complications. Some of the signs and symptoms of chemical changes in the patient's body include constipation, frequent urination, confusion, and excessive thirst.

The second complication of cancer is problems with the brain and nervous system since the condition can press on neighboring nerves. This contributes to pain and the loss of function of one body part that is affected by the cancerous cells. Brain cancer is associated with headaches and signs and symptoms like stroke such as weakness on one body part. The third complication of cancer is unusual reactions by the immune system in response to the condition. The most common unusual reaction by the body's immune system is attack of healthy cells by the cancer. The other reaction, which is very rare, is paraneoplastic syndromes that are characterized by symptoms like seizures and difficulties in walking ("Complications," 2014).

Side Effects of Treatment

Cancer treatment is not only characterized by several complications but also associated with some physical and psychological effects. These physical and psychological side effects of cancer are dependent on the type of cancer, its location in the body, and the various treatment processes used to deal with it. Generally, there are two major kinds of side effects i.e. chemotherapy effects and radiation therapy side effects. Chemotherapy side effects emerge from the powerful medicines used in the treatment process while radiation therapy effects are those arising from damaging ordinary, healthy cells near the cancerous cells. Some of the most common physical side effects of cancer include pain, fatigue, anemia, nausea and vomiting, lymphedema, fertility and sexual issues, and urinary incontinence ("Physical Side Effects," n.d.). The psychological effects of cancer include anger or frustration, guilt, anxiety, feelings of isolation, uncertainty, vulnerability, and grief.